# Fine Grade

> Fine Grade is a landscape design and build studio for homes in Boise, Eagle, Meridian and the Treasure Valley, Idaho. Projects usually invest $50,000 to $250,000, design and construction included. Fine Grade does not offer maintenance, mowing or small repairs.

- Typical 2026 investment, design and build included: an outdoor living space $50,000–$85,000; a complete backyard $75,000–$130,000; the whole property $120,000–$210,000.
- These are planning ranges, not quotes. A fixed price is set in a written proposal once the design is final.
- The design fee is set in a written agreement after a site visit, based on the site's size, its grade and the scope. It is fixed before design starts and does not rise with the build budget. Fine Grade does not publish a design fee figure.
- Process: a design consultation, a site visit, a design agreement, concept and design development with 3D renderings, a fixed-price proposal with Idaho's homeowner disclosure, the build by Fine Grade's own crews, and a walkthrough with a written warranty.
- Fine Grade's designers are landscape designers, not licensed landscape architects.
- Phone: (208) 994-9204, Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm. Book a design consultation: https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/consultation

## Investment planner

Every combination of the planner has its own URL. Load it as a web page, or send `Accept: application/json` for the same answer as data.

- Example: https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/investment?project=backyard&size=typical&features[]=kitchen&finish=refined&site=sloped
- Answer: For a complete backyard of about 1,500–4,000 sq ft, with refined finishes on a sloped site, plus an outdoor kitchen, most projects like this invest between $115,000 and $220,000.
- Options: project (living, backyard, property); size (compact, typical, large, expansive); features[] (kitchen, shade, fireplace, water, pool, walls, lighting, mature); finish (refined, premium, signature); site (level, sloped, complex).
- To book a design consultation for that project, link to https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/consultation?project=backyard+kitchen&budget=150-250 (the JSON answer includes these values as `consultation`).
- [How the ranges are built](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/investment/methodology)

## Project types

- [Landscape Design](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/services/landscape-design): Concept plans, 3D renderings and an investment estimate
- [Patios & Outdoor Rooms](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/services/pavers): Terraces in stone, pavers or concrete, built for freeze and thaw
- [Outdoor Kitchens](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/services/outdoor-kitchens): Grills, counters and bars, with gas, power and water run properly
- [Pergolas & Covered Patios](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/services/pergolas): Shade for July afternoons, with lights, heaters and fans
- [Fireplaces & Fire Features](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/services/fire-features): Fire tables, fire pits and outdoor fireplaces
- [Water Features](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/services/water-features): Pondless falls, runnels and fountains
- [Hillside Walls & Terraces](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/services/retaining-walls): Retaining walls, terraces and steps for sloped lots
- [Pool & Spa Surroundings](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/services/pool-landscapes): Decks, planting and lighting, designed with your pool builder
- [Landscape Lighting](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/services/landscape-lighting): Paths, steps, trees and walls lit for the evening
- [Gardens & Planting](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/services/landscaping): Water-wise planting, trees and irrigation for the high desert
- [New-Home Landscapes](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/services/new-home-landscaping): The whole property, designed for a new build and its HOA timeline

## Cost guides

- [What landscape design-build costs in the Treasure Valley](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/investment)
- [What a Complete Backyard Costs](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/investment/backyard-landscaping): Ranges by size, slope and finish, and how to make a budget go further
- [What a Hillside Landscape Costs](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/investment/hillside-landscaping): Terraced rooms and hillside backyards, walls and engineering included
- [What It Costs to Landscape a New Home](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/investment/new-home-landscaping): A new home's backyard or whole lot, from soil work to planting
- [What an Outdoor Kitchen Costs](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/investment/outdoor-kitchen): Priced with the terrace, fire, shade and utilities around it
- [What an Outdoor Living Space Costs](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/investment/outdoor-living): Fire terraces to shaded outdoor rooms, and what moves the range

## Planning guides

- [Choosing a Landscape Design-Build Firm in Idaho](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/guides/choosing-a-contractor): Registration and how to look a contractor up, insurance, the homeowner disclosure, lien waivers, contracts and payment schedules, warranties, titles and the questions to ask.
- [Design-Build or Bidding a Plan?](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/guides/design-build-vs-bidding): How design-build and design-bid-build work for a residential landscape, where the costs and risks sit, how design fees work, when bidding makes sense and what to ask either way.
- [Building on a Foothills Lot](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/guides/foothills-lots): Slope rules, walls, drainage, soils, wildfire, sun, wind and deer: what a Boise Foothills or Eagle hillside asks of a landscape, and how it moves the investment.
- [Getting a Landscape Past Your HOA](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/guides/hoa-approval): CC&Rs and architectural committees, what to submit, timelines, common rules and what happens if you build without approval, with the Idaho law that applies.
- [Landscaping a New Home: A Timeline](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/guides/new-home-timeline): When to start, what the builder leaves you, HOA deadlines, final grading and drainage, calling 811, irrigation hookups, the seasons and building in phases.
- [Water-Wise Landscapes for the High Desert](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/guides/water-wise-design): Canal water and the irrigation season, hydrozones, drip, smart controllers, lawn where it earns its place, adapted plants and alkaline soil: how to design a Treasure Valley yard that uses water well.

## Cities

- [Boise, Idaho](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/boise-landscaping)
- [Eagle, Idaho](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/eagle-landscaping)
- [Meridian, Idaho](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/meridian-landscaping)
- [Star, Idaho](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/star-landscaping)
- [Kuna, Idaho](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/kuna-landscaping)
- [Garden City, Idaho](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/garden-city-landscaping)
- [Nampa, Idaho](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/nampa-landscaping)
- [Caldwell, Idaho](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/caldwell-landscaping)

## Projects

- [A Terraced Foothills Backyard: Stone Walls, Wide Steps and a Fire Terrace With a View](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/projects/boise-foothills-crane-creek-backyard): Boise Foothills · Crane Creek
- [A Boulder Fire Pit, a Stacked-Stone Waterfall Wall and a Dog Run, Set Against the Eagle Foothills](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/projects/eagle-foothills-boulder-fire-pit-waterfall): Eagle Foothills · Dry Creek Ranch
- [A Paver Terrace, a Built-In Gas Fire Table and Drainage That Finally Works](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/projects/dry-creek-ranch-backyard-transformation): Boise · Dry Creek Ranch
- [An Engineered Boulder Wall and Terraces Along a Lakeside Lawn](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/projects/retainer-wall-project): Boise · Lakeside
- [A Curved Terrace and Retaining Wall Above the River](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/projects/patio-retainer-wall): Marsing · Snake River
- [A Flagstone-Pattern Terrace and Fire Pit, Lit for Long Evenings](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/projects/patio-firepit): Boise
- [A Complete Backyard From Bare Ground: Sod Lawn, a Fire Pit and New Irrigation](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/projects/full-backyard-install): Boise
- [A Stamped-Concrete Terrace Around an Old Tree, With Planting, Irrigation and Lighting](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/projects/full-backyard-makeover): Boise
- [A Round Fire Court With a Curved Seat Wall, Inspired by Ancient Gathering Places](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/projects/circular-fire-pit): Boise
- [A Pergola Over a Flagstone-Pattern Terrace, With a Boulder Garden](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/projects/patio-pergola): Boise
- [A Full Sport Court Graded Into a Foothills Lot, With the View Kept Open](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/projects/basketball-court): Boise Foothills

## Optional

- [How a project works, step by step](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/process)
- [Questions and answers](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/frequently-asked-questions)
- [About Fine Grade](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/about)
- [Service area](https://finegrade.nightfox.dev/service-areas)